After dropping out of Allegheny College, McKinley found that he had to work in order to help his family survive an economic depression. He taught and then worked in a post office until 1861. At that time, he decided to fight to preserve the Union and stopped working to fight in the Civil War.

Civil War

McKinley joined the Twenty-third Ohio Volunteer Infantry at the age of eighteen and served from 1861 to 1865. He began his stint in the Union Army as a private, but he quickly moved up in the ranks. He participated in numerous smaller skirmishes before fighting at the Battle of Antietam in September 1862. He was promoted after the battle for showing valor as he moved rations to the front. By February 1863, he was made first lieutenant. By the end of the war he had received a battlefield promotion to brevet major.

Political Aspirations

At the end of the war, McKinley was admitted to the bar in 1867 and started practicing law. He also became involved with the Republican party in Ohio. By 1877, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives where he served until 1883 and then again from 1885 until 1891. During his time in the House, he was well-known as a proponent of protectionism. One of the highest tariffs in America's history was passed under his name, and he was voted out of office because of his support of this tariff, which caused a marked increase in consumer prices. In 1892, McKinley was elected to be the governor of Ohio.